Daniele Petraz's talk – entitled “Start-IP” – has outlined the benefits resulting from IP protection and potential patent strategy. These benefits not only concern the protection of innovations, but in particular serve to attract capital ascribing value to start-up assets.

The Unicorn Trainers Club was born with the aim of creating a place of aggregation and reference for those who enthusiastically believe in innovation as a fundamental resource to compete from Italy in the world, with the desire to bring the entrepreneurial idea to success. The purpose of the Club is to collect and disseminate the best ideas of innovation, identify and support high-potential Italian and foreign start-ups, develop the culture of Open Innovation, collaborating with Universities, Research Centres, Science Parks, Incubators & Accelerators.

]]>GLP supports the arts funding the restoration of 15th century Saint Blaise sculpturehttp://www.glp.eu/en/update/news/?id=163
On Monday, 10th July 2017, the restoration of the blessing Saint Blaise wood sculpture will be presented at the Cathedral Museum of Udine, whose delicate restoration has been funded by GLP and Petraz family – founder and owner of the firm – on the occasion of its 50th anniversary of foundation, with the aim of actively contributing to the recovery and preservation of important works from the historical and artistic point of view.

Fine example of Friulian Renaissance, Saint Blaise sculpture is a work attributed to Domenico from Tolmezzo (Udine) and realized in the 15th century for Santa Maria di Castello, the oldest church of Udine, to celebrate the Patron of throat ailments. The restoration (carried out by Esedra company) has brought to light the statue original colours, returning to the city a work of remarkable artistic value that represents a significant stage for the history of sculpture in Friuli.

]]>The specialized guide "IP Stars" features again GLP in its rankingshttp://www.glp.eu/en/update/news/?id=162
GLP has been ranked again among the best worldwide experts for Patent Prosecution and Trademark Prosecution, by IP Stars 2017, the guide to the world’s leading IP firms and practitioners of Managing Intellectual Property Magazine (MIP).

Since 1990 MIP is a leading globe source of IP related news and analysis and its IP Stars are named after an extensive research based on information and feedback received from peers and clients.

The guide describes GLP as "responsive, polite and an entrepreneurial problem-solver".

]]>GLP top-ranked in the new edition of IAM Patent 1000http://www.glp.eu/en/update/news/?id=161
Through an extensive research process conducted by a team of highly qualified full-time analysts, IAM Patent 1000 identifies the top patent practitioners, as well as leading patent law and attorney firms.

For the third year in a row, GLP has been included in this authoritative guide, in the category Patent Prosecution. The GLP Team has been recognized as a partner whose “high level of patent knowledge and wide-ranging technical expertise instil confidence”.

According to the Guide’s editorial, GLP is perceived as “Fast, efficient and flexible with costs” and also “has a very strong international network and is particularly impressive in the mechanical and chemical fields”.

]]>GLP wins the award "Le Fonti Awards" as Professional Firm of the Yearhttp://www.glp.eu/en/update/news/?id=160
MILAN — On 7th June, at the third appointment of the year at Palazzo Mezzanotte in Milan – the seat of the Italian Stock Exchange – GLP was awarded the prestigious “Le Fonti Awards”, assigned to excellence of “Industria 4.0” with the support of the European Commission. GLP - which celebrates 50 years since its foundation this year - has won the award as the Professional Firm of the Year for Patents Consultancy in "Intellectual Property" category with the following motivation:“For being a Strategic Partner and reliable in Patents Consultancy area. For being side by side with the Client in the articulated and complex path that leads to innovation and its relative protection, creating an indissoluble relationship of trust between the parties.”

The first stage of the roadshow, that this year signed its seventh edition, took place in Hong Kong on 10th March. The next stages will take place in New York, London, Singapore and Dubai. Only in Milan the ceremony counted the presence of 1600 guests and 170 companies.

Le Fonti Awards is part of international IAIR Awards, one of the greatest global awards for innovation and leadership, and aims to identify and select the excellence of the professional, financial and industrial sectors. The award was selected by the Le Fonti Research Center, the Institute of Science and Culture and based on 40,000 qualified contacts from the business and profession world.

This award is for us source of satisfaction and recognition of our professionalism as well as an incentive to achieve more and more important goals. We also take this opportunity to thank all of our Clients. This award goes to them as well.

]]>The Italian Industrial Property Code published in German with the collaboration of GLPhttp://www.glp.eu/en/update/news/?id=159
Within the framework of the Project “Multilevel systems of the sources and protection of industrial property in Europe” organized by the University of Trieste, the volume “Das italienische Gesetzbuch für das gewerbliche Eigentum. Codice della Proprietà Industriale Italiano”, has been published, edited by Prof. Angelo Venchiarutti, for the publishers G. Giappichelli and Nomos.

Studio GLP has had a fundamental role in the production of this work, which is the first of its kind. GLP has always given great importance to information and sharing in the field of intellectual andindustrial property – with free publications, events, courses and seminars – in order to contribute to the training of future professionals and to support technological innovation and economic development. The consolidated cooperation with – among others – the University of Trieste is an example of this.

The booklet is published in Italian and German, and thus shows more clearly and directly the similarities, differences and peculiarities of the Italian and German juridical systems, in order to enrich them both with new ideas, but also to offer all those operating in the field a valid tool to facilitate their daily work.

The Italian Industrial Property Code was translated into German by Dr. Matthias Probst, in coordination with Prof. Lorenza Rega. The work was revised by Prof. Michael Lehamn from the Max Planck Institute für Innovation und Wettbewerb in Munich.

]]>Cambodia is set to recognise European Patentshttp://www.glp.eu/en/update/news/?id=158
Cambodia is one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia and is set to become the first Asian country to recognise and protect European Patents. Indeed, Cham Prasidh, the Senior Minister of Industry and Handicraft, on 23rd of January signed an agreement on the validation of European Patents in Cambodia with the EPO President Benoît Battistelli.

The agreement is scheduled to come into effect on the 1st of July 2017: on said date Cambodia will be placed among eight non-European countries that recognise the European Patent. Three other countries have recently signed such validation agreements: Morocco, Moldova and Tunisia (though the last one is still waiting to come into force). The Cambodian agreement will allow companies and individuals to obtain patent protection in up to 43 European and non-European countries with a single European Patent application.

It should be noted that pharmaceutical patents will likely be exempted from protection during the transitional period: Cambodia expressed the wish to make for the moment use of the WTO (World Trade Organisation) waiver regarding these kind of patents.

EPO President Battistelli said that the new validation agreement with Cambodia is positive news for the development of the European Patent system because «it extends its attractiveness beyond the European market and its immediate neighbourhood. The recognition of the European Patent by an Asian country demonstrates its global impact, also in the context of a least-developed economy».

On its perspective, Cambodia sees the agreement as an incentive for owners of European Patents to consider investing in said country, thereby a good opportunity to strengthen its economic development. The country is currently modernising its Intellectual Property system in order to boost the economy and attract foreign direct investment.

]]>GLP has been confirmed as one of the Trademark leading firmshttp://www.glp.eu/en/update/news/?id=157
For the second year running, GLP has been ranked into the prestigious publication WTR - World Trademark Review, which identifies the worldwide leading firms, in the field of Trademark management.

Special significance has been accorded to the legal and technical competence of the Co-Managing Partner Davide Luigi Petraz, who has been ranked among the 1000 leader professionals of the Trademark field and, specifically, of the “Prosecution & Strategy” category.

]]>London says yes to the Unitary Patenthttp://www.glp.eu/en/update/news/?id=156
Six months from the Brexit, which highlighted the UK’s decision to leave the EU, Great Britain has surprisingly announced the intention to ratify the introduction of the Unitary Patent, which could be seen as a sign of integration towards the EU Member States.

On 29th November 2016, UK claimed to be firmly resolved to join a patent system valid for all legal purposes throughout the EU.

Great Britain’s decision only in appearance seems to be against their motion to not be part of the European Union. In fact, the Unitary Patent is an intergovernmental treaty between the participating States and it is not enacted by the European Union. Thus, for the British Government, the management of the new system would not be in conflict with the negotiations following the Brexit.

Currently, the European Patent is only a "bundle" of National Patents, granted via a unified procedure before the European Patent Office (EPO) that is subsequently validated in each State in which the Proprietors wish to extend the protection. For the protection to be effective, the granted patent needs to be validated, namely be translated in the official languages of the countries where the protection is requested, based on the national legislations. On the contrary, the Unitary Patent aims to have unitary and independent effect for the entire territory of the Member States.

The Unitary Patent scheme also entails the establishment of the Unified Patent Court (UPC), which will be a court common to the Contracting Member States and thus part of their judicial system. It will have exclusive competence in respect of European Patents and European Patents with unitary effect (the Unitary Patent will in fact co-exist and not replace the current European Patent system, allowing Proprietors to choose the preferred system in accordance to their strategic and economic needs).

London has also announced its intention to host the division of The Unified Patent Court that will hear disputes relating to Pharmaceutical and Life Science Patents. The Court would be housed in the recently constructed Aldgate Tower.

This is bad news for Italy. After the Brexit, Milan had very high chances to have been recognised as the third host for the first-degree division of The Unified Patent Court considering that Italy, after Great Britain, counts the largest number of patents at Community level.

In any case, the UPC has to be ratified by al least 13 countries: France, Germany and UK included. 12 countries have so far ratified the Unitary Patent system and, if the ratification of the UK and Germany will follow, the Unitary Patent system could be launched as early as the first half of 2017.

]]>GLP celebrates 20 years of online presencehttp://www.glp.eu/en/update/news/?id=155
Exactly twenty years ago – 31st July 1996 – GLP published its web site “www.glp.it”, becoming one of the first IP firms in Italy to establish an online presence, offering information and an in-depth of its services and the world of intellectual property.

Whilst today the presence on the World Wide Web and its use are essential and global factors, in 1996 only a few thousand of Italian web sites were active online, compared with the current two millions, and just one person in every one hundred was able to access the internet.

This anniversary represents just one of the steps that have always characterized GLP’s path towards innovation.